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Monday, October 31, 2016

My Lithuanian family makes a potato cake that we call babka. It wasn't until much later in life that I realized it's not really babka.

A quick online search came up with more babka recipes than I can ever make in a lifetime.
Eventually I will get to a good mix of them all...

A co-worker of mine recently went to a Polish festival and tried cheese babka. She was going on and on about how delicious it was. I mentioned chocolate babka to her and her eyes got that really dreamy glazed look about them.
"Mmmm chocolate" is all she could say.

So, in my quest to authenticate babka, I decided to try my hand at Smitten Kitchen's version of chocolate babka. Since it does make three loaves, I will be a good co-worker and bring her a surprise on this coming Monday!

Ingredients:

1 ½ Cups warm milk (110 degrees)

2 (¼ oz each) packages active dry yeast

1 ¾ Cups (plus a pinch) of sugar

3 Whole large eggs (room temperature)

2 Large egg yolks (room temperature)

6 Cups all purpose flour

1 Tsp salt

3 ½ Sticks unsalted butter (room temperature)

2 ¼ Lbs semi sweet chocolate (finely chopped)

2 ½ Tbsp ground cinnamon

1 Tbsp heavy cream

Streusel Topping

1 ⅔ Cup confectioner’s sugar

1 ⅓ Cup all purpose flour

1 ½ Stick butter (room temperature)

Directions:

1. Pour warm milk into a small bowl.

2. Sprinkle yeast and a pinch of sugar over milk. Let stand about 5 minutes.

3. In a bowl, whisk together ¾ cup sugar, 2 eggs, and egg yolks.

4. Add egg mixture to yeast mixture. Combine.

5. Mix until all the flour is incorporated.

6. Add 2 sticks butter and beat until incorporated

7. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth

8. Butter a large bowl, place dough in, and turn to coat

9. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and set aside to rise 1 hour

10. Place chocolate, 1 cup sugar, and cinnamon in a large bowl, stir to combine

11. Cut in remaining 1 ½ sticks butter until well combined. Set aside.

12. Grease 3 loaf pans, line with parchment paper.

13. In a bowl, beat remaining egg with 1 tbsp cream

14. Punch back the dough and transfer to a clean surface. Let rest for 5 minutes

15. Cut dough into 3 equal pieces. Keep covered with plastic wrap when not in use.

16. On generously floured surface, roll dough out into a 16 inch square that is about ⅛ inch thick.

Monday, October 24, 2016

Thank you to you all who have stuck with me thru my absence!
Not that it is any excuse, but working two, soon to be three jobs plus trying to keep up with everything at home is kicking my butt.
(not to mention life happening in the meantime. Too many doctor appts, too many people in the hospital, too much of too much)
I am backed up with blog posts, and if you read my week in review sessions, I haven't exactly been cooking so much as of late.

Not to mention, gas workers down the street cut lines! We had no phone or internet for over a week. Scary!